Ch. IX.] JUIGALPA. 157 



a photograph. A few steps towards them, sent them 

 scampering off, barking as they went. 



Soon after this, I got severely stung by a number of 

 small wasps, whose nest I had disturbed in passing under 

 some bushes. About thirty were upon me, but I got off 

 with about half-a-dozen stings, as I managed to kill the 

 rest as they made their way through the hair of my head 

 and beard, for these wasps, having generally to do with 

 animals covered with hair, do not fly at the open face, 

 but at the hair of the head, and push down through it 

 to the skin before they sting. On this and on another 

 occasion on which I was attacked by them, I had not a 

 single sting on the exposed portions of my face, although 

 my hands were stung in killing them in my hair. It is 

 curious to note that the large black wasp that makes its 

 nest under the verandahs of houses and eaves of huts, 

 and has had to deal with man as his principal foe, flies 

 directly at the face when molested. 



Without further adventure we reached Juigalpa at 

 dusk, and took up our quarters not far from the plaza, 

 in a house where one large room was set apart for the 

 accommodation of travellers. We found we should have 

 to stay for a couple of days before our business was con- 

 cluded ; and whilst waiting for some law papers to be 

 made out, I determined to try to see some of the Indian 

 antiquities in the neighbourhood. We had hard leather 

 stretchers to sleep on, the use of mattresses being almost 

 unknown. 



Next morning I was up at daylight, and, after getting 

 a cup of coffee and milk, started off' on horseback 

 on the lower road towards Acoyapo. ' This led over 

 undulating savannahs, with grass and jicara trees, and 



